TSSA members vote overwhelmingly to accept Network Rail offer in pay dispute

TSSA members have voted overwhelmingly to accept a new offer from Network Rail in their dispute with the company over pay, job security and conditions, with 85% of members voting yes on a 70% turnout.

The rail workers’ union announced today that its members at Network Rail had backed an offer worth a minimum 9% pay rise, in addition to other financial rewards, job security to 2025 and guarantees on terms and conditions.

The union revealed that 85% of the 2,500 members balloted voted in favour of the offer, in what TSSA organising director Luke Chester described as a “decisive result”. The union’s dispute remains unresolved with train-operating companies.

Commenting on the result, Chester said: “It’s great news and a great deal for our members in Network Rail. It just shows what can be done through negotiations when there’s a serious offer on the table.

“Let me be clear though. This has only come about because our members stood together taking strike action to get a fair settlement when the company had failed to listen. Their dogged determination and some hard negotiations won this improved offer.”

He added: “The deal in Network Rail is significantly better than anything which has been proposed by the train-operating companies and our fight goes on there, with members continuing to take industrial action.

“If the rail companies and the government have any sense, they will now stop blocking the perfectly reasonable pathway to a deal and come back to the table with an improved offer which meets our aspirations.”

Network Rail’s offer includes a minimum pay uplift of £1,750 or 5% (whichever is greater) backdated to the beginning of this year. TSSA said the proposal equates to an increase of more than 5% for anyone earning less than £35,000 and at least 7% for those earning £25,000 or less.

The company also offered a 4% pay increase from January next year,  a no compulsory redundancy agreement until January 2025, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions and improvements to work and leisure travel facilities.

TSSA members working for several train-operating companies – including CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Great Western Railway – have strike action scheduled in the coming weeks. Members at Avanti West Coast walked out on Tuesday and Wednesday and will take further action on Friday and Saturday.

The strikes at Avanti West Coast also involve members of the RMT union. General secretary Mick Lynch has described the company as “one of the worst franchise holders in the industry”, adding: “Our members have to deal with passenger anger at such an appalling service.”

The RMT announced a series of 48-hour strikes after negotiations with industry failed to reach an improved settlement. As many as 40,000 members are thought to have walked out on Tuesday and Wednesday, with further action planned for December 16th and 17th and January 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th.

Commenting on Wednesday, Lynch said: “I congratulate RMT members who have shown enormous dignity and rock-solid fortitude throughout this 48-hour strike. They have shown how important their work is to the functioning of the economy and wider society.

“All they want is a negotiated settlement on job security, a decent pay rise and good working conditions. And they are determined to continue their industrial campaign until an agreed resolution is achieved.”

The union leader added: “The cost-of-living crisis is accelerating out of control, and the trade union movement is stepping up to the plate across multiple industries to protect workers.

“We send our heartfelt solidarity to the nurses and their union the RCN on their historic strike tomorrow, along with our heroic postal workers who are striking on issues very similar to our own. Unity in our movement is now more vital than ever with the ramping up of attacks from the government.”

RMT members working for Network Rail rejected the company’s latest offer earlier this week, with almost 64% of members voting against on an 83% turnout. Lynch described the offer as “substandard”.